Romantic Movies 2017 – Guide

Will you find romance in 2017? If it’s at the movies, then yes. We’re looking at the biggest and best romantic movies of 2017, whether it’s dramatic love or romantic-comedy. We’ll start with a rundown of the Top 10 So Far before examining everything else still to come.

An unwittingly pregnant astronaut leads to the first human being born and raised on Mars. As a teenager (Butterfield, ‘Hugo’) he connects over chat with a street smart girl on Earth (Robertson, ‘Tomorrowland’), as he hides his true location. Travelling to Earth for the first time against official advice, he meets with her and they set off on an adventure to discover who his father was. But atmospheric differences mean he has a dangerously enlarged heart, so he risks his life as he experiences the wonders of the planet through fresh eyes… From the director of ‘Serendipity’, ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ and ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’. ‘Space Between Us’ has a strong central premise with all sort of dramatic potential but critics say it’s ultimately drowned out in cheese and eye-rolling moments. Audiences have been slightly more forgiving.

Anne (Lane) is at a crossroads in her life. Long married to a successful, driven but inattentive movie producer (Baldwin), she unexpectedly finds herself taking a car trip from Cannes to Paris with a business associate of her husband (Viard). What should be a seven-hour drive straight to the capital turns into a carefree two-day French adventure full of picturesque sights, fine food and wine, humour, wisdom and romance, reawakening her senses and giving her a new lust for life… Written and directed by Eleanor Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s wife of 50 years (and director of ‘Apocalypse Now’ documentary ‘Hearts of Darkness’), who’s making her narrative feature debut. At 80 years old she is close to being the oldest first-time director in cinema. I wonder who she based the “driven but inattentive movie producer husband” on? Critics have been lukewarm, calling it a sumptuously photographed road trip, a genteel piece of tasteful cinematic escapism, but one that features a passive heroine always in the passenger seat being told what to do, eat and think and a less than compelling storyline.

A teenager (Stenberg, ‘Hunger Games’) diagnosed with “Bubble Baby” disease has spent her whole life indoors with her filtered air. Stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then a boy (Robinson, ‘Jurassic World’) moves in next door. And just like that, she realises there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And she’s ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads… Based on the hugely popular debut young adult novel, the strange correlation between serious illness-disability and bestselling romance continues. Critics and audiences have been meh on the adaptation, the premise and twist are too far-fetched for all but the teen watchers there to swoon at the landmark moments of first love. And the tears expected in a tearjerker don’t materialise. Young adult only.

In the 1910s, in the last days of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, a love triangle develops between an Armenian med student (Issac), an Armenian lady (Le Bon) raised in France, and a US journalist (Bale). Before it can be resolved their lives are caught up in the Armenian Genocide, which saw the Turks massacre 1.5 million… From the director of ‘Hotel Rwanda’. This is the first film about the (controversially denied) genocide to involve major stars. It was fully financed by a billionaire of Armenian extraction whose family had lived through it and who, as owner of MGM had been trying to get it made for so long that one of the roles was originally intended for Clark Gable. All the proceeds from the film’s theatrical run were given to humanitarian charities. Unfortunately the billionaire died before shooting began and the movie bombed taking just $8 million from $90m spent. Critics and audiences admired the intent and sumptuous presentation but felt it was a little too melodramatic and earnest.

Experimental romantic drama set in the Austin, Texas music scene, about two entangled couples who chase passion and success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal. One is a pair of struggling lyricists (Mara and Gosling), while the other a music mogul (Fassbender) and the waitress he ensnares (Portman)… Written and directed by the legendary Terrance Malick (‘Badlands’, ‘Tree of Life’), who’s famous for broad philosophical and spiritual overtones and the use of meditative character voice-overs, but who has always priorotised aesthetics over plot and character development. His process is so unusual that the first rough cut was 8 hours long, post production took 3 years, and the final version saw him completely remove the likes of Christian Bale and Benicio del Toro from the film. Musicians such as Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, The Black Lips, Alan Palomo and John Lydon make cameo appearances, and scenes were filmed at real music festivals. The style is an acquired taste, disconnecting most, and critics consider it one of his lesser works, but if you do connect you could find some emotional profundity.